George crouch



(No Model.)

G. CROUCH.

SPRING BOLT. No. 348,662.

Paten-tedSept. 7, 1886.

' ywua.

rm o-Litho n her. Washinginn. D

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

GEORGE CROUCH, OF NEW YORK, N. Y.

SPRING-BOLT.

SPECIPICATIONforming part of Letters Patent No. 348,662, dated September 7, 1886.

Application filed July 19, 1886. Serial No.208,456.

To all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, GEORGE CROUCH, of the city and State of New York, have invented an Improvement in Spring-Boltsof which the following is a specification.

In the manufacture of trunks, the trays and lids are frequently provided with hinged flaps and covers, and these have to be held in place when shut. Buttons are often made use of for this purpose; but they are liable to turn around under the vibration to which they are subjected when traveling, and allow the cover or flap to open.

My present invention relates to a springbolt that is especially adapted to securing the flaps and covers in trunks; but it is not limited to this use, but may be availed of for cupboard doors and other articles requiring a cheap and strong bolt. The bolt itself is made of wire, folded to form two legs, and these are inclined in such a manner that the spring of the folded wire, acting to spread the legs apart, gives an end movement to the bolt, in consequence of the inclines acting against the case which holds the bolt. This bolt is very simple and comparatively inexpensive, having nothing but a thin sheet-metal case and a folded wire within the same, forming the spring and the bolt. I

In the drawings, Figure 1 is an elevation of the bolt and case with the inclined ends projected. Fig. 2 is an elevation of the same at the back of the case with the inclined ends retracted, and Fig. 3 is a cross-section at the line x :r, Fig. 2. 1

The case A is preferably of sheet metal,

' having attaching-flanges 2 2 at the sides, and

a notched flange, 3, at one end, through which passes the wire of the spring-bolt. The bolt B is of spring-wire, folded double to form the loop 4, and next to this the wires at 5 are close together and nearly parallel, and pass through the notch in the flange 3. Beyond this the wires diverge at 6, and are folded back at the ends to form the bolt 7, and the portions 8 of the wire, being at an inclination and coming (No model.)

against the end of the case A, form the spring of the bolt, because, as the bolt is drawn endwise within the case by the projecting loop 4, the inclines 8 cause the legs of the wire bolt to approach each other; hence there is sufficient friction to hold the bolt in any position in which it may be placed, and when the bolt ends are projected the legs, springing apart, act in connection with the inclines 8 to insure a full end movement to the bolt.

It will be apparent that this spring-bolt may be used with either one end or the other for, securing the article to be held-that is to say, the loop end 4 may be drawn out over a lid or flap that is to be held down, or the case may be turned end for end, and the bolt 7 sprung out over such flap or coveror the bolt may be applied in any other convenient manner, and I remark that while it is preferable to bend the wire in such a way as to form the inclines 8 at the sides of the bolts, the bolts might be parallel, and the friction of the diverging legs against the inner surface of the bolt-case be depended upon for holding the wire-bolt in any position to which it may be moved. The extent of endwise movement is limited by the notched flange 3 and the length of the nearly parallel portion 5 of the wire.

I claim as my invention-- 1. The spring-bolt formed of the case A and the wire bolt B within the same, having diverging spring-legs, and the loop 4, connecting the two legs, substantially as set forth.

2. A spring-bolt formed of wire having two divergent legs connected by a loop, and the ends of the wire folded back to form the bolts, in combination with a case having a notched end flange, through which the wire of the legs passes, substantially as set forth. 8 5

Signed by me this 15th day of July, A. D. 1886.

GEO. CROUCH. 

